An ounce of reasoning is worth a pound of opinion An ounce of reasoning is worth a pound of opinion

An ounce of reasoning is worth a pound of opinion

The defendants denied the validity of a will on the grounds that the testatrix lacked testamentary capacity. The judge found that the conclusion of...
Review of Guidance for the instruction of experts in civil claims Review of Guidance for the instruction of experts in civil claims

Review of Guidance for the instruction of experts in civil claims

The Civil Justice Council (‘CJC’) is intending to review its ‘Guidance for the instruction of experts in civil claims’ with a...
Update on EWI Advocacy Update on EWI Advocacy

Update on EWI Advocacy

One of the key roles of the Expert Witness Institute (‘EWI’) is to ensure that policy, rule and regulatory changes are informed by the...
Legal Aid: Experts' Fees Legal Aid: Experts' Fees

Legal Aid: Experts' Fees

This case is of obvious importance to experts authorised by the Family Court to be instructed in public law proceedings but it has implications for...
An expert report that is entirely equivocal on the key issues is of little assistance to... An expert report that is entirely equivocal on the key issues is of little assistance to...

An expert report that is entirely equivocal on the key issues is of little assistance to...

The court noted that the jointly instructed expert demonstrated a clear lack of understanding of both CPR 35 and the duties owed to the court by an...
EWI Annual Conference 2025: Opening keynote looks at how to be a witness as well as an... EWI Annual Conference 2025: Opening keynote looks at how to be a witness as well as an...

EWI Annual Conference 2025: Opening keynote looks at how to be a witness as well as an...

Podcast Episode 13: Long-Standing Policy Issues Podcast Episode 13: Long-Standing Policy Issues

Podcast Episode 13: Long-Standing Policy Issues

In the 13th episode of the Expert Matters Podcast, we look at five long-standing policy issues that have had significant developments recently: (1)...
A Day in the Life of a Plastic, Aesthetic and Hair transplant Surgeon and Expert Witness A Day in the Life of a Plastic, Aesthetic and Hair transplant Surgeon and Expert Witness

A Day in the Life of a Plastic, Aesthetic and Hair transplant Surgeon and Expert Witness

Dr. Rohit Seth is trained in Plastic, Reconstructive, Aesthetic and Hair Transplant Surgery with over 20 years of surgical experience. A practicing...
A Day in the Life of a Digital Forensics Expert Witness A Day in the Life of a Digital Forensics Expert Witness

A Day in the Life of a Digital Forensics Expert Witness

Ryan Shields is a digital forensics expert who has worked in the police and private sector. Here, he explains why he is passionate about using his...
Podcast Episode 12: Expert Discussions and Joint Statements Podcast Episode 12: Expert Discussions and Joint Statements

Podcast Episode 12: Expert Discussions and Joint Statements

In the 12th episode of the Expert Matters Podcast, we discuss Expert Discussions and Joint Statements. Joint Statements are critical documents in any...
Podcast Episode 11: AI and the Expert Witness Podcast Episode 11: AI and the Expert Witness

Podcast Episode 11: AI and the Expert Witness

In the 11th episode of the Expert Matters Podcast, we take a look at how AI is being used by Expert Witnesses. We discuss general developments related...
A Day in the Life of an Aerial Imagery Expert A Day in the Life of an Aerial Imagery Expert

A Day in the Life of an Aerial Imagery Expert

Chris Cox is a professional heritage consultant, specialist interpreter of aerial imagery and Lidar data, and an Expert Witness. She is the...

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Looking for more news relevant to the Expert Witness community? Why not check out our database of cases relevant to Expert Evidence or the latest and previous editions of our member magazine, Expert Matters.

News

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Mantir Singh Sahota v Albinder Singh Sahota & Ors [2024] EWHC 2165 (Ch)
Case Updates

Mantir Singh Sahota v Albinder Singh Sahota & Ors [2024] EWHC 2165 (Ch)

The judge found that the forensic accounting expert’s approach of forming an opinion as to the value of the Company, then carrying out a detailed calculation and only if it matches his initial opinion accepting it, undermined the credibility and reliability of his opinion as to the value of the Company.

A mother's malign influence on her children
Case Updates

A mother's malign influence on her children

This is a case which will assume much greater importance for the 15 points of practice and practical steps that the judge decided can help reduce the risk of well-meaning professionals falling into pitfalls that hinder the identification of safeguarding issues at an early stage than as a case with learning points for experts.

For some of the experts in the fields from which jointly appointed experts were instructed, it illustrates how their evidence is tested and applied in a case of suspected fabricated or induced illness (FII).

Re N (Children: Fact Finding - Perplexing Presentation/Fabricated or Induced Illness) [2024] EWFC 326

Working on a ‘no win – no fee’ basis
News

Working on a ‘no win – no fee’ basis

Professor Keith Rix discusses whether experts can accept instructions on the basis of mirroring the solicitors’ ‘no win – no fee’ agreement in personal injury compensation claims. This item appeared in the February edition of Expert Healthcare Witness Matters, a monthly email newsletter written by Professor Rix.

Can capacity be assessed on papers without a consultation?
Case Updates

Can capacity be assessed on papers without a consultation?

Any uncertainty as to whether a psychiatrist can provide an expert report as a paper-based assessment is answered by this case.

In this case the paper-based assessment was sufficient for the court to conclude that, having regard to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, s 48, there were "reasons to believe that the Appellant lacks capacity". However, the fact that the court did not make a finding of a lack of capacity and transferred the case to a Tier 3 (High Court) Judge of the Court of Protection in order to determine the matter of capacity indicates how the court recognises how much more difficult it is to make a finding when the report relies on a paper-based assessment compared to a consultation with the subject of the report.   

MacPherson v Sunderland City Council (Rev1) [2024] EWCA Civ 1579 

JXX v Scott Archibald [2025] EWHC 69 (SCCO)
Case Updates

JXX v Scott Archibald [2025] EWHC 69 (SCCO)

In considering whether the claimant should be required to provide a breakdown of expert and medical agency fees, the judge decided to offer the claimant the option of either providing the breakdown of expert and medical reporting organisation fees, to enable an assessment of work of both the expert and the MRO, or not providing that information and having the expert fees assessed on the hypothetical basis that there was no medical reporting organisation involved.

Call for evidence: Use of evidence generated by software in criminal proceedings
News

Call for evidence: Use of evidence generated by software in criminal proceedings

The Ministry of Justice has published a call for evidence on the use of evidence generated by software in criminal proceedings.

The call for evidence is to help the Ministry better understand how the current presumption concerning the admissibility of computer evidence is working in practice, and whether it is fit for purpose in the modern world. 

Consent – post-Montgomery
Case Updates

Consent – post-Montgomery

Although this is a dental/maxillofacial negligence case, it is of importance for all healthcare experts instructed in cases where consent may be an issue. It highlights points about which experts should enquire when there may be an issue as to consent to a surgical or other procedure. In this case it was found that the consent process was deficient in a number of respects. It is also a case which illustrates how expert evidence can separately assist the court on the issues of breach of duty, causation, condition and prognosis.

Winterbotham v Shahrak (Rev1) [2024] EWHC 2633 (KB) 

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